• Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2020 March #2
  This adaptation for young readers trims the original (2015) publication down considerably, resulting in a fast-paced piece of action-packed history capable of capturing any consenting middle-grade audience. As America transitioned into independence, the young nation's vulnerability was exploited by the aggressive Barbary states, whose "pirates" began targeting American merchant vessels. This—specifically, the enslavement of American sailors—led the United States to raise a small navy and plunge into its first war. Despite the title, Jefferson plays a supporting role, with the bulk of the action taking place off the Barbary coast, following the exploits of a rotating cast of American sailors and diplomats in a play-by-play narrative broken into brisk chapters. The justification for war—liberating enslaved Americans—may rightly rankle readers, given that America's own enslaved Africans receive no mention whatsoever, and the authors offer no commentary or context to address the hypocrisy. With this exciting but jarringly uncritical account of early U.S. history, educators should be ready to add context to the narrative. Grades 6-8. Copyright 2020 Booklist Reviews.

Brian Kilmeade is the co-author of George Washington's Secret Six, a New York Times bestseller for more than five months. He co-hosts Fox News Channel's morning show Fox & Friends and hosts the daily national radio show Kilmeade & Friends. He lives on Long Island.

Don Yaeger is an award-winning keynote speaker, business leadership coach, and author of more than two dozen books, including nine New York Times bestsellers. A world-class storyteller, Yaegar draws on his personal experiences as well as those with a host of sports legends to inspire audiences from Fortune 500 companies to cancer survivor groups. He lives in Tallahassee, Florida, with his wife, Jeanette, and their two children.